Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Day 175 & 176- Drakesbad

Days 175-176, 9/30-10/1
Two Zero Days

Before relaxing in Drakesbad, my parents took me into Chester to get my town chores done. Laundry and resupply and all that. Chester was a great little town, and we had excellent dinner and also breakfast at the Copper Kettle.

Then it was back to Drakesbad for a truly wonderful and relaxing time. Delicious food, soaking in the hot springs pool, and of course hiking and exploring.

My parents and I went back on the PCT to Boiling Springs Lake. I loved being able to see it for a second time.

Next we hiked to Devil's Kitchen where there were more spectacular bubbling mud pots, steam vents, and hot springs. A large mud pot made a loud thud-thump as it spurted out boiling mud. Another family walked by us and we overheard the father saying, "That's the heartbeat of the earth." The little girl said earnestly, "I want to go closer to see the heart."

You could really get a sense from being there that we were closer to the earth's magma, and that it wasn't hard to imagine this volcano as active. At about three miles round-trip, this isn't someplace most PCT hikers take the time to visit. Which is unfortunate because it's so dramatic.

Then it was only a short detour over to Dream Lake, which has now been allowed to revert back to a meadow now that the dam was breached. There wasn't a trail around the meadow, so it was time for bushwhacking. Mom and Dad are adventurous and crossed streams on fallen logs like pros.

We saw a great blue heron, and found really neat aquatic flowers which the guidebook back at the lodge showed were water buttercups.

I really loved it at Drakesbad and it was one of the best birthday gifts ever to be able to stay there with my folks. I'll never forget it.